Comparing people or things - Easy Learning Grammar Italian

1Comparative adjectives

What is a comparative adjective?In English a comparative adjective is one with –er on the end, or more or less in front of it, for example faster, more important, less interesting. These adjectives are used when you are comparing people or things.

2How to make a comparative adjective in Italian

To say that something is faster, bigger, more important and so on use più in front of the adjective.

una macchina più grande

a bigger car

un film più interessante

a more interesting film

Queste scarpe sono più comode.

These shoes are more comfortable.

To say that something is less expensive, less interesting and so on use meno in front of the adjective.

un computer meno caro

a less expensive computer

un viaggio meno faticoso

a less tiring journey

3How to compare one person or thing with another

Put either più or meno in front of the adjective and use di to translate than.

Sono più alto di te.

I’m taller than you.

Milano è più grande di Genova.

Milan is bigger than Genoa.

Carlo è più ambizioso di Luca.

Carlo is more ambitious than Luca.

Quello verde è meno caro

The green one is less expensive than

del nero.

the black one.

La mia borsa è meno pesante della tua.

My bag is less heavy than yours.

Note that di combines with the article to make one word: di + il = del, di + la = della, and so on.

For more information on di, see Prepositions page 174.

4Superlative adjectives

What is a superlative adjective?In English a superlative adjective is one with –est on the end, or most or least in front of it, for example fastest, most important, least interesting. The definite article isused with superlative adjectives: the fastest, the most important, the least interesting.

5How to make a superlative adjective in Italian

Making a superlative adjective is very easy: you simply put a definite article in front of the comparative adjective.

il più alto

the tallest

il meno interessante

the least interesting

The definite article must agree with the person or thing you’re describing.

Matteo è il più alto.

Matteo is the tallest.

Lidia è la più alta.

Lidia is the tallest.

Queste scarpe sono le più

These shoes are the most comode.

comfortable.

Gianni è il meno ambizioso.

Gianni is the least ambitious.

If there is a definite article in front of the noun, do not put a second definite article in front of più or meno.